It is well known that becoming a better golfer includes a requirement of reducing the number of putts taken on the green. Much has been written and a variety of putters produced to help the golfer obtain that perfect feel for the golfing swing and especially the putting stroke. The golfer seeks having that confident feel and striking the ball consistently with the goal of reducing the number of putts taken during a round of golf Golfers are taught that the putting stroke should be smooth, rhythmic, and fluid. The face of the putter should be square to the intended line to the target when the putter strikes the ball. The ball is to be struck solidly, making contact with the putter head face between the center of gravity of the putter head and the back of the ball. While constrained by the USGA Rules of Golf a variety of golf putters, including blade styled, mallet head, and flanged head, have been designed, typically looking to provide that improved feel and help a golfer avoid well known problems with the putting stroke. Divergent, independent attempts have been described and are well known in the art of putter design for achieving a desirable feel when executing the putting stroke. Blade style putters, for example, provide the golfer with a feel for the ball contacting the putter head, as in an inelastic reaction where two bodies having approximately the same mass collide with each receiving or "feeling" a reaction to the collision. Mallet styled putters, on the other hand, provide substantial mass for striking the golf ball and provide the golfer with a desirable "pendulum" swing. To complete the analogy, the mallet styled putter provides somewhat of an elastic reaction when contacting the ball. Because of its relative large mass compared to the ball, little if any feeling is experience by the putter head and thus little ,if any, feeling for the golfer.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,975 to Smith discloses a golf club putter having a flat striking blade styled head that is elevated above a non-scuff shoe wherein the shoe holds the blade in an elevated position so that the bottom of the blade is spaced above the bottom of the shoe. The shaft is rearwardly spaced from the blade for providing a full view of the blade for the golfer. Further, the elevated blade provides an overspin to the ball when struck.
Putter head weight and weight distribution play an important factor in providing the feel, By way of further example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,459 to Antonious discloses mallet and flanged styled putter heads having cavities located within an upper surface of the putter head behind the ball striking face. The result being that the putter head weight distribution is below and behind the ball striking face and at the toe and heel of the club vertically above the center of percussion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,457 to Lowe discloses a golf putter head having its cavity extent through the head and behind the ball striking face portion of the head. Grooves are affixed along a top portion of the head for providing help in aligning of the putter head with the ball to be struck during use, another important factor in all golfing strokes. Further, the putter face is inclined for developing an overspin to the ball when struck, hence permitting the ball to roll along the surface very soon after being struck, avoiding a skipping motion that adversely affects the path of the ball.
Despite these divergent attempts, illustrated above by way of example, there remains a need to provide a putter which provides an easy alignment of the putter head with the golf ball and path through which the ball will travel, while providing a desirable feel when striking the ball, yet permitting a desirable pendulum like swing.